Daereungwon and Cheomseongdae

Getting to the start

Both sit in the middle of town and city buses reach them from anywhere, including from Singyeongju Station. Both are lit after dark, so a late visit works.

The route

1. 1

   Daereungwon Tombs

   Central Gyeongju · 1h 10m

   Twenty-three tombs of Silla kings and nobles, sitting like grass hills in the middle of the modern town. One of them, Cheonmachong, is open so you can walk inside. Walking the paths between the mounds is the whole experience, and it is best near sunset.

2. Walk10m

   Leave Daereungwon by the east gate and cross the open lawn eastward — about ten minutes on the flat. In spring and autumn this stretch is planted with flowers.

   2

   Cheomseongdae

   Central Gyeongju · 30m

   A seventh-century astronomical observatory, the oldest surviving in East Asia. It is a plain stone cylinder of 362 blocks, and smaller up close than photographs suggest. It stands in open lawn and is lit at night.

   

Map

• Daereungwon Tombs →
• Cheomseongdae →

Also close by

Other places close to this route's stops — useful if you have time left or want to swap something out.

• Bulguksa TempleHeritage · 1h 30m11.3km
• Seokguram GrottoHeritage · 1h12.6km

Good to do next

• Bulguksa, GyeongjuGyeongju · Half day

  An eighth-century Silla temple. Wooden halls sit on stone terraces, and two very different pagodas stand side by side in the main courtyard.